"And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace" Exodus 14:13-14.

The Exodus is the most dramatic and glorious experience of God’s people in the Old Testament. This event is the divine model of how God defeated the Hebrews’ enemies and brought them victoriously into the Promised Land. It’s also a symbol of salvation and redemption in Christ.

From a human standpoint, the Israelites were in so desperate a situation that they couldn’t save themselves. If they were to be delivered, it would have to be by a divine act. It’s the same with us and sin: we are in a hopeless situation. We need something even more dramatic than the Exodus. And we’ve got it: the cross of Christ and what Christ did there for us all.

The events of Israel’s departure from the land of Goshen, mentioned in Exodus 12 until the song of Moses, joyously sung in Exodus 15 are breathtaking and incredible. God’s signs, wonders and miraculous redeeming works are at their peak.

On the night of the Passover, divine judgment fell on those not covered by the blood. No one escaped because of position, education, social status, or gender. Punishment struck all families, from Pharaoh to slaves, and even the firstborn of the animals. The pride of Egypt was in the dust.

How interesting that Pharaoh, in telling the Hebrews to go and worship, adds this request: And bless me also. Why would he, a king of Egypt, a “god” on earth among his people, ask that?

It sounds as if he’s finally catching on to the power of the Hebrew God and would like to benefit from it. However, how can God bless him while he is steeped in rebellion, stubbornness, sin and pride? Sure, he finally gave his consent, but it wasn’t out of submission to the will of God. It was, instead, out of defeat. He wasn’t repentant as his later actions will reveal. He simply wanted to stop the devastation that was destroying his kingdom.

Pharaoh was humiliated. And given the tragic circumstances from the worst plague of all, he gives permission for Israel to leave Egypt. What he refused to grant all previous times, and no matter the suffering his actions brought upon his nation, he now permits.